You'll forgive the Red Sox if they're not jumping up and down at the news that Sports Illustrated has chosen them as the 2011 World Series champion.

In fact, you'll understand if they hide under their bed in fear. Or beg the magazine to change its mind.

Since 2000, not only has SI never correctly picked a World Series winner -- not once -- but only one of its selections has even made the World Series. The breakdown:
FAILED TO MAKE PLAYOFFS: 5
LOST IN DIVISIONAL SERIES: 4
LOST IN CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: 1
LOST IN WORLD SERIES: 1
WON WORLD SERIES: 0

Pretty putrid, huh?

(This particular stretch actually started when SI picked the Sox to win the 2000 World Series. They finished 85-77. And even that wasn't as bad as 1987, when they picked the Indians -- who wound up 61-101 -- to win it all.)

Lou Merloni, however, sees a silver lining around this dark cloud:

Even though SI picked the Sox to win the Series, it put the Phillies on the cover . . . and we all know that being on the cover is the actual SI Jinx.